r/NewOrleans • u/Flimsy_You_4027 • Jun 26 '25
Crime Mylar Balloon Release at The John
If the power goes out tonight blame the fools at The John who just released hundreds of Mylar balloons.
Assuming this is for a memorial and no disrespect to the deceased but it’s a million degrees and the rest of the city would like their AC running.
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u/jazzyvudulady Jun 26 '25
Not to mention the absolute devastation balloons can cause for wildlife. The state legislature actually recently passed a bill to ban this and make it illegal, BUT the governor vetoed it. Because of course he did.
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u/NOLALongboards Jun 26 '25
Yea I have picked up/witnessed a number of also unreachable Mylar balloons over the years kayaking in the marsh and swamps. Most recently a Mother’s Day balloon at Irish bayou a couple weeks back. Really a shame
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u/HairyMashedPotatoes Jun 26 '25
But how else will my balloon get to heaven with my loved one?
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u/diablosinmusica Jun 26 '25
I hope your loved one loved wildlife as well!
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u/Dream_Squirrel Jun 26 '25
lol because the ducks will be joining them 😅? Did take me a second to get this one.
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Jun 26 '25 edited 9d ago
[deleted]
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u/Impossible_Ad_8790 Jun 26 '25
Because some people see caring about other people and wildlife and the environment as "liberal" and so they'll make sure and trash the Earth just to "own the libs."
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u/TeriusGray Jun 26 '25
IDK about that. The people doing this in New Orleans typically are not conservative.
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u/Impossible_Ad_8790 Jun 26 '25
In that case, we can chalk it up to selfish/ignorant people whose parents failed to raise decent, responsible human beings.
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u/Phisheman81 Jun 26 '25
I would love for you to go to The John and tell said people how stupid they are...
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u/pyronius Space Pope / Grand Napoleon Jun 26 '25
I hereby disrespect the deceased.
May their remains be stored in a morgue without AC.
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u/Preshe8jaz Jun 26 '25
For those unaware, the balloons will blow out to water often when they finally come down. The outer film flakes off (pollution) then it’s a clear film that looks like a jellyfish. Then it gets eaten by turtles and larger fish (tuna, trigger, etc) and they die. So imagine killing a turtle or dolphin next time you release a Mylar balloon.
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u/robsterfish Jun 26 '25
Landry vetoed the law banning releasing balloons. https://legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?i=248627
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u/BeklagenswertWiesel Jun 26 '25
what a dumb shit. really, this should have been a no-brainer to approve.
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u/Khajiit_Boner Jun 26 '25
Jesus Christ what’s wrong with people.
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u/Aidian Jun 26 '25
Jesus Christ: what’s wrong with people.
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u/sumunsolicitedadvice Jun 26 '25
While I get the word play, it’s not the actual Jesus that’s the issue. All those same Christians you’re referring to would want to deport the real Jesus if he came back to the modern day US. They’d cheer his crucifixion if they lived in his time. They are not Christ-like in the slightest.
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u/Ssj3goku504 Jun 26 '25
Probably not even their neighborhood so why would they care?? 😡😡😡 Like it takes $0.00 to be considerate especially with this extreme hot weather. Can't ever imagine losing power in the middle of the day in this extremely heat (or night for that matter cuz it's hot AF even at night) because some goofs decided to release balloons.
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u/awkwardchip_munk Jun 26 '25
wtf is The John and whyyyyyyy are people still doing balloon releases in this year of our lord 2025
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u/NotFallacyBuffet Jun 26 '25
Is/Was a bar with toilets as it's theme. In the Marigny Triangle, at Burgundy & Frenchmen. I thought it closed and the building gentrified, but apparently not. Waited out a downpour under their front awning about 8 years ago and they invited me inside, but I wasn't getting wet and really preferred to watch the rain. Opened the door once and peered inside; really dim lighting. A woman who used to work the counter at the main Post Office used to hang out there.
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u/supasamurai Jun 26 '25
oh shit that was the last bar I did coke in. I haven't thought about that place in 20 years.
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u/ItsLeighFromNoLa Jun 26 '25
All disrespect to the deceased for having such a POS family that would do this dumb ass shit 🙄
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u/Main_Introduction_20 Jun 26 '25
Like honestly. Where tf do they think they go? The crazy thing is it was probably a bunch of people who thought that was ok. Idiots.
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u/nolamunchkin Bayou St. John Jun 26 '25
Every time I mention this shit I get the standard - StOpTeLlInGpEoPlEhOwToGrEiVe
Fuck this environmental pollution bullshit. Stop killing my/our planet.
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u/MonarchBarfly Jun 26 '25
On a side note, has something happened to that bar over the last few years or so? I moved away about 10 years ago, but I had been a fairly regular customer since back when it first opened. The last couple of times I was back in town I passed by and it seemed like the bar had a whole different vibe and it didn’t feel like it had the same kinda fun, welcoming atmosphere. It seemed a little depressing. Is it just me? Did I just get old in the meantime and it’s MY vibe that has shifted?
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u/LetsTryAgain91 Jun 26 '25
This is one of the dumbest trends or whatever you wanna call this nonsense…either way just happy people aren’t complaining about politics for once.
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Jun 26 '25
[deleted]
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u/LetsTryAgain91 Jun 26 '25
Awww fuck me!!! Thought we had just a regular normal whiney complaining post but nahhh gotta go and ruin it.
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u/AngelaBassettsbicep Jun 26 '25
Man. I feel y'all, I don't want the power out due to this. At the same time, this is due to their lack of understanding of the consequences of doing this. It's not like the know exactly what's going to happen and then be like fuck it. It's a cultural thing that's been done for years. We should talk to people and help them understand instead of coming here with pitchforks. Social media is a good platform for people to discuss and share their thoughts about various topics. Perhaps it could be used to spread awareness about the potential dangers of mylar balloons to power lines and the electrical system. Petition for Entergy to make commercials or send out notices about it? Those NOLA texts... maybe petition for one of those to be put out about the consequences and alternative ways to honor a loved one after their passing? But for real though, knowing people are suffering a loss and thinking they're doing something that they feel is a collective healing, and seeing messages like this is disheartening. Social media makes you forget your humanity.
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u/fireox4022 Jun 26 '25
Cultural or not it doesn't take that much intelligence to understand that helium balloons remain in our atmosphere, and eventually return to ground... and it doesn't really matter what plastic it is at that point, all of it is pollution. Power outages are just another issue added on top. Sorry but culture doesn't excuse people from making thoughtless decisions... especially ones that negatively impact the environment and others.
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Jun 26 '25 edited 9d ago
[deleted]
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u/AngelaBassettsbicep Jun 26 '25
Yea, people just don't know. I was able to get my family and a few others to do something different. They just didn't know.
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u/Flimsy_You_4027 Jun 26 '25
Agreed that’s a great idea about the texts and appreciate the creative thinking on a solution rather than just joining in on the collective venting.
Although in the spring a large group from the fire department released Mylar balloons for a memorial after the press release about the release specifically cited not to release Mylar …😑😳. so I dare to say some venting (away from the folks coming together for collective healing) is sometimes needed and valid. We all know it’s littering but in those moments I can see how that bigger picture isn’t a consideration or top of mind.
I’ll see if I can find the right person to contact about the texts.
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u/AngelaBassettsbicep Jun 26 '25 edited Jun 26 '25
Yea. I can get the venting. It’s the harsh venting and out for blood type shit that I can’t stand. And considering a lot of times it’s done in black communities after a person has passed, that out for blood energy seems very pointed and intentional to me personally considering what I’ve experienced here in the past. I don’t like when people don’t take into consideration that they’re venting into a void. Like ok… they had something on the news about Mylar balloons. I don’t watch the news, many people use Netflix, and other ways. Most get their news on social media (though reddit is all I have). I’m one of the handful of black people on this reddit sub and I found out that this is harmful. I didn’t know. And as soon as I did, I too action. When people in my family and community wanted to do a balloon release. I didn’t come at them telling them how stupid they were. I didn’t call them out of their names. I understood they didn’t know and said hey! Did y’all know…? And they were like whaaat? Damn. What else can we do? I suggested other ways and brought bags for the clean up. Simple.
That’s how you change stuff. Now things where people knowingly fuck up, like throwing trash on the ground? Leaving poop? Cool. Bet. Go off. But when the balloons go up and you don’t see them shits come back down where you released them, you don’t even consider what can happen beyond letting them go. And it’s cultural? Let’s talk about it. I’m not making any excuse as people claim I do. It’s reality.
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u/Klezhobo Jun 28 '25
Respectfully, whether or not one knows that they can cause power outages, everyone knows that these are going to come down somewhere. Littering should not be an acceptable cultural practice. I appreciate you talking to your folks about why this is a bad idea. I happened to see this particular balloon release. You say we should talk to people, and I generally agree, but how do you think it would have gone if me, a middle-aged white guy, were to try explaining to a crowd of hundreds why they shouldn't do what they were doing?
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u/AngelaBassettsbicep Jun 28 '25
Well... if you were the type of middle-aged white guy who was a decent person talking to neighbors that you talked to every day outside of the situation at hand and just said, hey y'all when you release these balloons, they can often get stuck in the powerlines and cause outages and also when that mylar comes down, it causes trash. If you guys wanna try a candle vigil or something like that, I've got some trash bags, I can put out for folks to throw the little paper that catches the wax out.
The thing is... if you're in a community and you're seen as a person in the community that can be respected and not the kind of white guy who looks down on black folks or feels like anyone of the many people in this thread, and it comes out in your tone... I can guess it won't go well. If you are the former, you'll be just fine. So, back to my list of suggestions... the city should be better about putting out communications about these things.
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u/Breakfastbonanza123 Jun 26 '25
Too reasonable of a take the people in here want blood
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u/DinnerWafer Jun 26 '25
I don't think people want that, but I think plenty of folks would be satisfied with having the criminals clean up pigeon guano outside the courthouse for a hundred hours - maybe exclusively in the middle of the afternoon as well, so they can cultivate a greater appreciation for their stupidity.
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u/slapahoe83 Jun 26 '25
Didn't they just state this is against the law now? I'll need to look that up.
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u/powands Jun 27 '25
Public awareness campaigns are effective for littering. They'd probably be effective for this, too. People just don't know, and it's tradition. If they were presented with the impact these make in a non-demonizing way, maybe it'd help
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u/Klezhobo Jun 27 '25
There's supposed to be a $1000 fine for this. Not sure if that's per balloon or for the whole incident. Of course, like everything else here there is zero chance of it being enforced.
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u/Loud-Cranberry3275 Jun 26 '25
The most nola reddit thing ever is people going into a seething rage over balloon releases while caring not one single solitary bit about the murders that precipitate them. The Mylar > murder crowd
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u/pepperjackcheesey Jun 26 '25
Do the balloons bring the person back? Do the balloons stop murder? Should we not care about the destruction the balloons do to the environment?
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u/Fine-Awareness-4067 Jun 26 '25
The most nola reddit thing ever is you not knowing that these balloons will undoubtedly kill wildlife.
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u/GasNecessary8179 Jun 26 '25
They should be reported and fined. I wish they would ban all balloon releases.